ELIZABETH PIKE

“I believe there is a need for collaboration and partnerships with others who hold a diversity of experiences, worldviews and life circumstances, beyond the current dominance of the Global North and those speaking the English language.”

Meet Elizabeth Pike, a Professor in the sociology of sport whose work focuses on issues of equality, diversity and inclusion in and through sport. She has particular expertise in the area of gender and sport, serving as co-Founder of the Anita White Foundation, Research Lead for the International Working Group on Women and Sport, and Project Director for the Women in Sport High performance pathway.

ELIZABETH’S SPORTING MEMORIES

“Much of my childhood physical activity took the form of street play with my brother Nic and our neighbours, on the roads outside our houses. ‘The Street Olympics’ included accepting that those who were less physically able would take the short-cut down an alleyway which reduced the time it took to run around the block. This wasn’t cheating—it was a way to ensure everyone could take part. It taught me to think creatively about making sport inclusive and participant-focused.”

GENDER EQUALITY IN SPORT

“Dr Anita White CBE crystallised my thinking about the importance of scholarship informing activism. With her, I co-founded the Anita White Foundation, and with our friends from Females Achieving Brilliance - Lucy Faulkner and Pauline Harrison - we established the Women’s Sport Leadership Academy and the Women in Sport High performance pathway to empower women leaders globally and help make the systemic changes needed for gender equality.”

DIVERSITY IN SPORT GOVERNANCE

“Short-term interests, usually with regards to finance and profit, need to be better balanced with longer-term considerations such as social inclusion, the health and wellbeing of the participants, and the environmental impact of sports.

The power base of sport remains largely Eurocentric, reflecting the historical dominance of the Global North in the control, organisation and values of sports. There is a need for the main sports commissions to have representatives from the Global South who are also people of colour to ensure diverse viewpoints and experiences are reflected in sports governance. Currently, people in the Global South are often distant from the power centres of sport. Distributing power more equitably among different societal groups is vital. Partnerships within and beyond the realm of sports can ensure that diverse voices are heard.”